Method for optically scanning and measuring an environment

ABSTRACT

In a method for optically scanning and measuring an environment, a laser scanner emits an emission light beam, receives a reception light beam reflected from an object, and determines for a multiplicity of measurement points at least the distance from the object to a center of the laser scanner, and in which at least some of the measurement points are displayed on a display device, the measurement points are assigned to pixels of a plane and their distances to the plane are assigned to respective depths, at least the pixels between the pixels which are assigned to the measurement points are filled with values in dependence on the depth, by selecting pixels, by searching for pixels which are adjacent to the selected pixels and have a smaller depth, and by filling the selected pixels depending on the values of the adjacent pixels and on their depths.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a National Stage Application of PCT Application No. PCT/EP2011/001662, filed on Apr. 1, 2011, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/362,810, filed on Jul. 9, 2010, and of pending German Patent Application No. DE 10 2010 020 952.2, filed on May 10, 2010, and which are hereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for optically scanning and measuring an environment.

Through use of a known method of this kind, a three-dimensional scan is recorded which is then displayed two-dimensionally. Provided that density and extension of the measurement points are smaller than the pixels of the display, a relatively better visual impression is generated if a gap-filling takes place between the measurement points, i.e., if surfaces are generated from the single measurement points. All measurement points can thus be projected onto one plane and be assigned to single pixels. The intermediate pixels of the plane are then filled, for example, by interpolation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention are based on improving a method of the type mentioned hereinabove.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, filling of the pixels takes place three-dimensionally so that, compared to two-dimensional filling, the available depth information can be used for a relatively better representation. Filling of the selected pixels takes place in dependence on the depth, i.e., the distance to the plane which corresponds to the display screen. Apart from the depth which is assigned to the respectively selected pixel, the depth assigned to the respectively adjacent pixels is also taken into account. Pixels which are already filled and which are adjacent to the selected pixels are searched for, particularly because they are assigned to measurement points, and to thus incorporate the selected pixel into the surface of those pixels which are assigned to the measurement points or to separate it by means of an edge. Thus, covered surfaces and covered edges remain invisible. The complete process of selecting, searching and filling may take place in parallel, for all pixels at the same time, on a graphic card, so that computing time is saved.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present invention are explained in more detail below on the basis of exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, in which

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the assignment and filling of the pixels with a view onto the plane, wherein the adjacent pixels are on the same surface;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the assignment and filling of the pixels, according to FIG. 1, with a view onto the plane;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the assignment and filling of the pixels with a view onto the plane, wherein the adjacent pixels are located on different surfaces;

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the assignment and filling of the pixels, according to FIG. 3, with a view onto the plane;

FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of a laser scanner in the environment including the display device, and

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional illustration of the laser scanner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to the Figures, a laser scanner 10 is provided as a device for optically scanning and measuring the environment of the laser scanner 10. The laser scanner 10 has a measuring head 12 and a base 14. The measuring head 12 is mounted on the base 14 as a unit that can be rotated about a vertical axis. The measuring head 12 has a rotary mirror 16 that can be rotated about a horizontal axis. The point of intersection between the two axes of rotation is designated as the center C₁₀ of the laser scanner 10.

The measuring head 12 also has a light emitter 17 for emitting an emission light beam 18. The emission light beam 18 may be a laser beam in the range of wave length of approximately 300 to 1600 nm, for example, 790 nm, 905 nm or less than 400 nm, but other electro-magnetic waves having, for example, a greater wave length can be used. The emission light beam 18 is amplitude-modulated with, for example, a sinusoidal or rectangular-waveform modulation signal. The emission light beam 18 is passed from the light emitter 17 onto the rotary mirror 16 where it is deflected and then emitted into the environment. A reception light beam 20, which is reflected by or otherwise scattered from an object O, is captured again by the rotary mirror 16, deflected and passed onto a light receiver 21. The direction of the emission light beam 18 and of the reception light beam 20 results from the angular positions of the rotary mirror 16 and the measuring head 12, which depend on the positions of their respective rotary drives which are, in turn, detected by a respective encoder.

A control and evaluation device 22 has a data link connection to the light emitter 17 and to the light receiver 21 in the measuring head 12, parts thereof being arranged also outside the measuring head 12, for example as a computer connected to the base 14. The control and evaluation device 22 determines, for a multiplicity of measurement points X, the distance d of the laser scanner 10 from the illuminated point on the object O, and from the propagation times of emission light beam 18 and reception light beam 20. For this purpose, the phase shift between the two light beams 18 and 20 can be determined and evaluated.

Through use of the relatively rapid rotation of the mirror 16, scanning takes place along a circular line. Also, through use of the relatively slow rotation of the measuring head 12 relative to the base 14, the entire space is gradually scanned with the circular lines. The totality of the measurement points X of such a measurement shall be designated as a scan. The center C₁₀ of the laser scanner 10 defines for such a scan the origin of the local stationary reference system. The base 14 is stationary in this local stationary reference system.

In addition to the distance d to the center C₁₀ of the laser scanner 10, each measurement point X comprises a brightness value which may also be determined by the control and evaluation device 22. The brightness is a gray-tone value which is determined, for example, by integration of the bandpass-filtered and amplified signal of the light receiver 21 over a measuring period which is assigned to the measurement point X. Through use of a color camera, it is optionally possible to generate pictures, by which colors (R, G, B) can be assigned as a value to the measurement points X in addition to the brightness or comprising the brightness.

A display device 30 is connected to the control and evaluation device 22. The display device 30 can be integrated into the laser scanner 10, for example into the measuring head 12 or into the base 14, or it can be an external unit, for example part of a computer which is connected to the base 14. The display device 30 has a graphic card 32 and a screen 34 which can be arranged separately from one another or as a structural unit. The control and evaluation device 22 provides 3D data of the scan.

Referring also to FIGS. 1-4 as well as FIGS. 5 and 6, the graphic card 32 converts the 3-D data into 2-D data (e.g., rendering data), which are displayed on the screen 34. The 3-D data are the measurement points X, wherein several scans from different positions of the laser scanner 10 can be assembled into one scene. For representing the 2-D data, there are pixels P, i.e., adjacent, small polygonal surfaces (e.g. squares or hexagons), which are arranged in a two-dimensional plane E which corresponds to the screen 34. The starting point is the projection of the measurement points X onto the plane E with a viewer (e.g., eye, camera), at a certain viewpoint V. The projection appears to be in perspective (i.e., the viewpoint V is in the finite) or orthographical (i.e., the viewpoint V in is the infinite). The projected measurement points X are assigned to single pixels P. A Z-buffer serves for representing the 2-D data, i.e., a two-dimensional auxiliary field for the pixels P. In this Z-buffer, a field element (e.g., depth z) is assigned to each pixel P. The depth z of each projected measurement point X corresponds to the distance of the measurement point X to the plane E with respect to the viewpoint V. The field of the pixels P and the Z-buffer may be treated in the same way as the images.

The viewpoint V may be arbitrary per se and is usually changed several times when regarding the scan and/or the scene.

Since the measurement points X are punctiform, with gaps in between, and the pixels P usually, in the case of nearby objects O, have a higher density in the plane E than the projections of the measurement points X, a gap-filling is carried out to fill as many pixels P as possible for an improved representation. The graphic card 32 carries this out in parallel using the 3-D data and the indication of the viewpoint V and of the plane E.

Initially only those pixels P are filled to which the projection of a measurement point X is assigned, i.e., which exactly cover one measurement point X. These pixels P are filled with the value of the assigned measurement point X, i.e., brightness and, where applicable, color. All other pixels P, which do not exactly correspond with a projection of a measurement point X, i.e., which are “in between” are empty at first, for example are set to zero. Each of the depths z, i.e., the field elements of the Z-buffer, which are assigned to the initially filled pixels P, is set to that depth z₀, z₁, z₂, which corresponds to the distance of the assigned measurement point X to the plane E. All other field elements of the Z-buffer (e.g., depths z) are set to an extreme value, for example, to infinite. If, when the projection of the measurement points X is made, it turns out that two measurement points X are available for one pixel P, the measurement point having the smaller depth z is selected and the other one is rejected, so that covered surfaces and covered edges are not visible.

According to embodiments of the present invention, gap-filling takes place in dependence on the depth z₀, z₁, z₂, i.e., on the distance to the plane E. The graphic card 32 selects all pixels P in parallel with respect to time. By way of example, one selected pixel P₀ is regarded now. The assigned depth z, i.e., field element of the Z-buffer, contains the depth z₀. For each selected pixel P₀ the adjacent pixels P₁, P₂, are searched consecutively, i.e., to the left and to the right and above and below. If the adjacent pixel P₁ is not yet filled or if its depth z is bigger than the depth zo of the selected pixel P₀, it is skipped and the second next pixel P is taken as adjacent pixel P₁, if necessary iteratively. If an adjacent pixel P₁, the depth z₁of which is smaller than the depth z₀ of the selected pixel P₀, is found in one of the directions, a change to the next direction takes place, and it is looked for the adjacent pixel P₂ (e.g., the depth z₂ of which is smaller than the depth z₀ of the selected pixel P₀). It is possible to define a maximum number of skipped pixels, i.e., if the adjacent pixel P₁ or P₂ is not yet found after skipping the maximum number of skipped pixels, the search for P₁ or P₂ is aborted.

If the adjacent pixels P₁ and P₂ to the selected pixel P₀ have been found in opposite directions, with the depths z₁ and z₂ of the adjacent pixels P₁ and P₂ being smaller than the depth z₀, it is checked whether P₁ and P₂ are on the same plane, i.e., whether the amount of the difference of z₂ and z₁ is below a threshold value for the depth z_(crit), i.e.,

|z ₂ −z ₁ |<z _(crit)

applies. In such a case, the selected pixel P₀ is filled with the value which is interpolated between P₁ and P₂, i.e., brightness and, if applicable color. The assigned field element of the Z-buffer is likewise set to the interpolated depth between z₁ and z₂. Interpolation depends on the distance of the selected pixel P₀ from P₁ and P₂ in plane E.

If the difference of the depths is too big, i.e., the condition applies, it is assumed that P₁ and P₂ are located on different planes. The selected pixel P₀ is then filled with the value, i.e., brightnesses and, if applicable color, of, for example, the more remote pixel P₁ or P₂, and the assigned field element of the Z-buffer with the bigger depth z₁ or z₂. Alternatively, the value and the depth of pixel P₁ or P₂ having the smaller depth z₁ or z₂ is transferred. In the case of more than two adjacent pixels P₁, P₂, the average value of the majority, i.e., of the adjacent pixels P₁, P₂, which are located on the same surface, can be transferred.

Selected pixels P₀, which are already filled with values of the measurement points, are overwritten by the interpolation of the values of the adjacent pixels P₁ and P₂. Alternatively, a selected pixel P₀, which is already filled, remains unvaried.

If pixels P have been skipped when finding the pixels P₁ and P₂, because they were not filled or because their depth z was too big, their adjacent pixels P₁, P₂ are the same as with the selected pixel P₀, so that the skipped pixels P and the assigned field elements of the Z-buffer, within the framework of the selection taking place in parallel, are likewise filled either with a value which is interpolated between the pixels P₁ and P₂ and/or the depths z₁ and z₂ (depending on the distance of the selected pixel P₀ from P₁ and P₂ in plane E) or with the value and/or the depth z₁ or z₂ of the more remote one among pixels P₁ or P₂ (or the average value of the majority).

Due to the selection taking place in parallel, filling with the value and/or the depth z₁ or z₂ of the more remote among the pixels P₁ or P₂ on account of a difference of depths which is too big, leads to the closer-by pixel P₁ or P₂ forming an edge. Even if no adjacent pixel P₁ or P₂ is found, the depth z₁ or z₂ of which is smaller than the depth z₀ of the selected pixel P₀, since the selected pixel P₀ is at the side of the screen 34, an edge is generated, since these selected pixels P₀ at the edge are not filled then.

Gap-filling may take place once again to fill further pixels, i.e., to improve the representation once again.

Gap-filling may take place in the control and evaluation device 22 or by software running on an external computer. Due to the savings in time by a parallel selection, the hardware-based gap-filling on the graphic card 32 may be used together with the programming interface of the latter. 

1. A method for optically scanning and measuring an environment, in which a laser scanner emits an emission light beam by a light emitter, receives a reception light beam by a light receiver, the reflection light beam being reflected from an object in the environment of the laser scanner, and the laser scanner determining by a control and evaluation device for a multiplicity of measurement points at least a distance from the object to a center of the laser scanner, the method comprising steps of: displaying at least some of the measurement points on a display device; assigning the at least some of the measurement points to pixels of a plane; assigning distances of the at least some of the measurement points to the plane to respective depths; filling with values at least the pixels that are located between the pixels assigned to the measurement points; and filling the values of the pixels to be filled in dependence on the depth by selecting some of the pixels by searching for the pixels which are adjacent to the selected pixels and have a smaller depth, in dependence on the values of the adjacent pixels and on the depths of the adjacent pixels.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein every one of the measurement points to be displayed is assigned to the pixel which corresponds to the projection of the measurement point on the plane, and filling the pixel which corresponds to the projection of the measurement point on the plane with the value of the assigned measurement point, and setting the depth that was assigned to the filled pixel to the distance of the assigned measurement point to the plane.
 3. The method of according to claim 1, wherein a selected pixel that is already filled remains unvaried.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein for any of the selected pixels, the adjacent pixels are searched for consecutively, wherein the pixels which are not yet filled and/or the depth of the pixels is bigger than the depth of the selected pixel are skipped.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein if an adjacent pixel which is already filled and the depth of the adjacent pixel is smaller than the depth of the selected pixel is found in any of the searched directions, then changing the direction in which the selected pixel has not yet been searched for.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein after the adjacent pixels to the selected pixel have been found, wherein the adjacent pixels are already filled and the depths of the adjacent pixels are smaller than the depth of the selected pixel then checking whether the amount of the difference between their depths of the selected pixels is below a threshold value.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein if the amount of the difference between the depths of the adjacent pixels which have been found is below the threshold value, then filling selected pixel with the value that is interpolated between the values of the adjacent pixels, and setting the depth of the selected pixel to the depth that is interpolated between the depths of the adjacent pixels which have been found.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein if the amount of the difference between the depths of the adjacent pixels which have been found is below the threshold value, then filling the selected pixel with the value of the adjacent pixel having the bigger depth, and setting the depth of the selected pixel to the depth of the adjacent pixel having the bigger depth.
 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the pixels to be selected are selected in parallel with respect to time and/or that filling takes place at least twice.
 10. A laser scanner for implementing the method of claim 1, has a graphic card connected to the control and evaluation device and a screen, wherein the graphic card serves for selecting pixels, for searching adjacent pixels to the selected pixels, the adjacent pixels having a smaller depth, and for filling the selected pixels in dependence on the values of the adjacent pixels and on the depths of the adjacent pixels. 